Carrier despatch system



A. KOENIG.

CAHHER DESPATCH SYSTEM.

MfPLmATIoN ELLED DEc.27, i919. 4

Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

1 16 jveni 1?@ auf Koenig N UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST KOENIG, `OIF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE LAMSON "OUNL PANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A. CORPORATION OF NEW 'IIERSIIY.`

CARRER `:Diisrri'rcir SYSTEM.

Specification of Lettersat-ent. i Patented iwal- 29,` 1921.

Application lertDecember 27, 1919. Serial No. l347,828.

Tov all wkrom'itrmay ca /acera: c

Be it known that I, AUGUST KOENIG, a

citizen of the United States, and resident of Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful'Improvements in Carrier Despatch Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This'invention relates to carrier despatch systems ofthe type where carriers are moved along tracks. .l

One of the objects of the present invention isto provide simple and eiiicient means" whereby carriers delivered at a station may be `automatically divided and mechanically placed on separate receivingracks.

means utilized for separating the `carriers and directing" them to diiierent stations.

It is a Jfurther object of the invention to provide simple and efficient switch and switch operatingwmeans in connection with the class separating `means uponthe carriers. Other and further objects and results of the invention will appear as thedisclosure proceeds. l l

The invention is adapted for use in connection withthe usual despatch systems ott' riers, however, are `stoppedmat a single cashiers station. y .y r r It is the purpose of the present invention to Vprovide separate receivingextensions at the central station and selective means so operating' that certain predetermined carriers may come to rest on one extension and the remainder on another extension.

This is of particulariitility in separating cash sales sent in for change, from credit sales sent in for approval,` sothat they may be expeditiously handled by diiferent clerks in the central station.

I have shown a preferred 'embodiment of `my invention in the accompanying draw` It is another object oi' the invention to` provide" such means separate and distinct from any Selective means y i Figure 1 -is a perspective view of a carrier provided with myimproved class determining means in connection with a broken away portion of the track and guide means;` c

Fig. 2 is a face View of a double receiving terminal Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of Fig. 2; and c Fig. 4 is a view of a portion of Fig. 2 as seenfrom the right side. c,

The carrier 5 is of the usual type with 'a door 6, door latch 7 on the face thereof, a

bearing member Sand guide lugs 9. It car-` c r1es the usual lngs`10 forthe purpose `of? effecting delivery to a predetermined station in the well-known manner old in the art and not a` part of' the present invention. The

carrier rides upon rails 11 which pass be-` tween the bearing member 8 and guide lugs 9.

`A movable cable and Vgripping means on the carrier (not shown) are provided to move the carrier in the manner well-known in theart.

`The track` 11 has attached thereto the` movable switch 12 which, as shown in Fig. 2, is normally heldlby the spring 14 in alinement with receiving extension 13. This spring 11i has one end attached to the guide member 15 and the other end to the guide bar 16lby the pin 17. The gnide member 15` issupported on the track frame by the vertical brace 18. The track members of the `switch "are pivoted by pins 19"to arms` 20 which are rigidly connected to the guide bar 16. The guide bar 16 passes through slotted openings 21 in the inturned endso'f the guide member 15.

Extendingiii the opposite direction from y the receiving extension 13 is a similar receiving extension 22.

Attached to the track frame is the selector guide 23adapted to contact with the selector guide lug 24, which extends from the face of the carrier, in the manner shown in Fig. 1.

In the operation of the device the carrier will come down the track 11 from the top as seen in Figs. 2 and L1. It it has no lug 24 it will normally pass along the switch 12 in its position, asshown, and come to rest upon the receiving extension 13. It, however, the

carrier is fitted with a lug 24, this lug will ico pass to the right of the nose 25 on the selector guide 23 and as that guide curves to the right theswitch member 12 will be swung to the right against the tension of the spring i A *endsat the central station and the addition l 174CV until the switch is in alinement with receiving extension 22 and the carrier will pass on-,tothat extension. When the carrier vleavestheswitch thertension oi' the spring `lll returns itA to its normal in Fig. 2.

position as seen The strength of the spring la is suiiicient N to maintain the switch in its normal position against the thrust due to the ...inertia of a kcarrier striking the switch and passing to receiving extension 13.. I

, The portionoi:l track 11 is .used in sending carriers away from the station and yforms no partlof the presentV invention..

viously 'made to provide means for separat-v; ing carriers at ka central l station by means of selective" devices operating ,through lugs on the sides ,of the'carrier in a manner similar vto the method of selectiveV delivery to'v stay Y tions on the return from the central station.

In such adevice there -a limited space on the` sides of the. carrier which` may be utilized for selective' lugs and where a porl tion of, such surface must beggiven overto lugsnto determine selective 3delivery at the central stations.,y it is not possible to h ave the usual number of substations on the line.

This necessitates the use of more lines with aconsequent increase inexpense.

With the presenty invention no sub-stations need be'ieliminatejd. This makes it possible y to 'add the new selective device at the central.

station toexisting lines with little expense. All Vthat'isnecessary is the change of track of new carriers having class' determining lugs. Moreover', the classdetermining lug being on adifferent side, the two classes of 40.

carriers ,are more readily distinguished and there isv consequently lesslikelihood of use Y of. an incorrect carrier at a sub-station.

K A, urther, and important advantage obtained lby placing the lclass determining lug uponcfthe face of the carrier consists in the fact that in this case the two delivery ex-j the transfer from switchito track end is Y made with only the narrow lug 9 holding the carrier' to the switch. The thickness ot' this lug can easily pass between switch point and 4track end it the adjustment between them is not close. On the other hand in the present laterally operating switch, should ythe switch point and track end be not in I vamfaware ,that Veorts have lbeen pre? exact alinement the curved ends of the carriers will tend to guide the yielding switch into alinement and the carrier does not leave the switch until a considerable portion is already between the track.

Y I claim l. A carrier system comprising a track, carriers adapted to travel along said track, a central station and a plurality oi' substatioiis, station selector means upon certain iaces of the carriers adapted to cooperate with means at the several sub-statioiis to deliver eacli carrier at a predetermined station, class determining means on certain of said carriers, upon another face than the faces containing the station selector means, a plurality of delivery extensions at said central station, and selective delivery means at said central stationadapted to cause the carriers provided with class determining means to be placed on one of said delivery extensions,'and to cause the other carriers to be placed upon a different delivery extension.

2. A carrier system comprising a track, carriers adapted to travel along said track, a central station and a plurality of substations, stationselector means upon the sides of the carriers adapted to cooperate with means at the several sub-stations to deliver each carrier at a predetermined station, class-determining means on certain of said carriers upon the faces thereof, a plurality of delivery extensions at said central station, and selective delivery means at said central station adapted to cause the carriers provided with class determining means to be placed on one of said delivery extensions, and to cause the other carriers to be placed upona different delivery extension.

3. A carrier system comprising a track, carriers adapted to travel along said track, certain of said carriers having class determining means upon the faces thereof, a central station to which said carriers are delivered, a plurality of delivery extensions at said station, a switch at said station adapted normally to place said carriers on one of said delivery extensions, selector means cooperating with the class determining means on the carriers to cause carriers provided with said class determining means to be placed by said switch on another of said delivery extensions.

4. A carrier system comprising a track, carriers adapted to travel along said track, certain of Said carriers having class determining means upon the faces thereof, a eentral station to which said carriers are delivered, a plurality of delivery extensions at said station, a switch at said station adapted normally to place said carriers on one of said delivery extensions, selector means cooperating with the class determining means on the carriers to cause carriers provided with said class determining means to be placed by said switch on another of said delivery extensions, the portions of both said extensions adjacent the switch being in the same plane.

5. A carrier system comprisin a track, carriers adapted to travel along said track, a central station, station selector means upon the lateral surfaces of the carriers adapted to coperate with means at several substations to deliver each carrier at a predetermined sub-station, class determining means upon the face of certain of said carriers, two delivery extensions at the central station, a yielding switch normally connecting the main line and one of said stations, a guide member adjacent said switch adapted to coperate with the class determinin means on the carriers to move the switc laterally and cause carriers fitted with said class determining means to be assed by the switch to the other of said) delivery extensions.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts this 23rd day of December 1919.

AUGUST KOENIG. 

